Manhattan Chamber Players

Michael Mizrahi has been dazzling audiences and critics alike with his compelling performances of works ranging from Baroque to 21^st-century.  Hailed for his “splendid powers of concentration” (The Washington Post) and performances that are “exciting to watch and hear” (The San Diego Union-Tribune), Mizrahi has appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across the United States and in Europe.

In 2005, Mr. Mizrahi appeared as soloist under Leon Fleisher and the Curtis Chamber Orchestra in a Carnegie Hall performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto #23.  Mr. Mizrahi has also appeared with the Houston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony, and Prince Georges Philharmonic Orchestra.  He won First Prize and the Audience Choice Award in the 2004 Ima Hogg Competition, as well as first prizes in the Berkeley Piano Club Competition, the International Bartok-Kabalevsky Competition, and the Iowa International Piano Competition. After winning the National Symphony Orchestra’s Young Soloists Competition, The Washington Post wrote that he has “the kind of control needed to project strength without sounding aggressive.” In 2005, Astral Artistic Services selected Mr. Mizrahi to be a part of its exclusive roster of young artists.

Mizrahi’s special interest in chamber music has led to performances on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago and at the Gardner Museum in Boston.  In 2004 he was featured on “Classical Performances,” a live broadcast on Boston’s WGBH. He has participated in such chamber music festivals as the Yellow Barn Music Festival and the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival and is a founding member of the Moët Piano Trio. In 2003 he participated in the prestigious piano masterclasses at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival.

Equally at home with new music, Mizrahi is a founding member of NOW Ensemble, a group devoted to the creation and performance of new music.  With recent performances in New York and Boston, the NOW Ensemble is quickly establishing itself as a major new force in the contemporary music scene. As an enthusiastic promoter of musical education, Mizrahi has presented lecture-recitals and masterclasses at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and to students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Mr. Mizrahi has been hailed for his ability to engage audiences of all age levels.

Michael Mizrahi began piano studies at the age of four. He received a B.A. in music and religion from the University of Virginia and a Masters degree in piano performance from the Yale School of Music. He is currently a Doctoral candidate at Yale, where he studies with Claude Frank. Former teachers include Robert Wyatt, Eric Himy, Mary Kathleen Ernst, and George François.